Samuel left two bodyguards to keep watch over Daisy. Once the door to the hospital room clicked shut, she reached for her phone and contacted another hospital.

The one she was currently in was managed by the Thomas Family and she had no intention of staying tied to them or her biased parents any longer.

After securing her transfer, she changed out of her hospital gown, waiting for the bodyguards to leave for their meal break before slipping away unnoticed.

But as she rounded a corner in the corridor, the voices of her father and Heather reached her ears.

Daisy paused mid-step.

"Heather, you acted too hastily! Hiring someone to start that fire will be easy to trace. Thankfully, I stopped Desmond from digging deeper. If they find out who’s behind this, I won’t be able to protect you. Don’t make such reckless moves again."

“Hah! It’s because you’re too useless! You promised my mom you’d give me everything from the Johnson Family. And now? Are you hesitating because you still can’t let go of your precious daughter? Don’t forget, I’m your biological daughter too!”

“Let go? If I truly couldn’t let go, would I have personally planned that car accident five years ago? Heather, you need to understand that I’ve always loved you and your mother.”

A smug chuckle drifted from around the corner. “And Desmond, too. I want him and I want the Thomas Family behind him.”

The words hit Daisy like a lightning strike, the shock nearly paralyzing her.

Her blood seemed to freeze in her veins. The truth was too much to bear.

Daisy stumbled back, her nails digging deep into her palms. She felt as though she were turning to stone; her only movement was the tremble in her eyes.

Her father had been behind the plot to kill her. And Heather... she was his illegitimate daughter?

In that moment, Daisy saw her father for who he truly was, not the upright man she had believed him to be.

A cold gust of air swept through the hallway, snapping Daisy back to reality.

Without another thought, she rushed home.

When she arrived, both her mother and Desmond looked up in surprise at her sudden appearance.

Her mother’s face darkened in an instant. “Why are you back?”

Desmond’s brow furrowed, confusion and concern flickering in his eyes.

Daisy gripped her mother’s hand tightly, her voice trembling with the weight of her words. “Mom, Desmond…”

“I overheard a conversation between Dad and Heather. The car accident from five years ago, Dad planned it. And Heather… she’s his illegitimate daughter!”

Both her mother's and Desmond’s faces drained of color, their expressions twisted in shock.

“Are you sure?” her mother asked.

Daisy nodded, the truth stinging her heart. No matter how broken she felt, her instinct was to warn them, to keep them from being blinded by lies.

But before she could speak further, Heather’s voice rang out from behind her, filled with feigned innocence.

“Sister?”

Daisy’s heart clenched painfully in her chest. Slowly, she turned, facing the two people who had once been her entire world: her father and Heather.

Heather’s eyes filled with disbelief, tears welling as if her heart had been shattered beyond repair.

“I never imagined you’d fabricate such lies. Has Dad’s love for you not been enough? Even a tiger wouldn’t harm its own cub; how could Dad ever hurt you?”

“And as for me… I know I was brought into the Johnson Family as your stand-in simply because I resemble you. If it weren’t for this face, I’d never have been loved by a father, mother and brother who cared for me so much.”

“But just because I look like you, you think it’s fair to tarnish my name like this?”

At her words, Hannah, who had wavered in suspicion, pushed all doubts aside, immediately rushing to Heather’s side. “Of course not. Mom has never once doubted you or your father.”

Desmond turned his cold gaze to Daisy. “Is this your childish attempt to cause a rift between us all?”

It was as if a freezing wave of water had crashed over Daisy.

Her lips parted in shock, but after a moment’s pause, she realized returning had been a mistake.

She should have never meddled.

In the end, a self-deprecating smile curled on Daisy’s lips as she turned toward the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” her father’s voice, cold and seething with silent fury, stopped her in her tracks.

Taking a deep breath, Daisy spoke the words she had long steeled herself to say: “I’m cutting ties with the Johnson Family. I’m leaving.”

A collective shift in the room was palpable.

“Don’t even think about it!” her father growled. “If I have to beat you into submission today, I won’t let you disgrace the Johnson Family outside! Someone, bring the whip!”

A servant hurried forward with a horsewhip, the cold crack of leather snapping through the air.

Daisy was forcefully pinned to the ground and the whip lashed down, searing through her skin and leaving a trail of blood on her back. But the pain was nothing compared to the humiliation that gripped her.

Yet this scene of cruelty unfolded with no one stepping in to stop it. All eyes remained icy and indifferent.

By the end, her back was a mangled mess of raw flesh and she collapsed, her body succumbing to the excruciating agony.

How much time had passed, she wasn’t sure, but the cold air brought her back to consciousness.

Opening her eyes, Daisy saw Desmond sitting by her bed, his hands gentle as he applied medicine to her wounds.

In the dim light, his features were soft, calm and refined, but Daisy recoiled from his touch.

Desmond glanced up at her. “Does it hurt?”

Daisy remained silent.

Desmond reached out, brushing aside the strands of hair that had fallen over Daisy’s ear. "Daisy, there's only so much one can take. If you push too far, all you're doing is digging your own grave, don't you think?"

Daisy remained silent, her gaze distant, as though she could no longer bear to look at him.

She used to argue and push back because she still harbored some flicker of hope and some expectation for these people.

But now, those feelings had turned to ash. She no longer cared for their words, their lies.

Desmond had planned to speak with her and try to reason with Daisy. He wanted to tell her that if she continued down this path, her bitterness would only consume her.

He wanted to say that, despite the scars that marred her face, he would still see her for who she truly was. He wished she could return to the carefree, kind-hearted girl she once was.

He wanted to explain that Heather had feelings for him, that she had fallen into a dark place when he didn’t return them, but that he had always seen her as a sister.

Once Heather was well again, Desmond intended to marry her.

But Daisy remained as cold and distant as ever, her walls firmly in place.

"Don’t shut me out, Daisy!" Desmond's voice grew sharp, tinged with frustration.

Just as Desmond’s patience was about to snap, Heather entered the room. "Desmond, let me speak with my sister. The conflict between the two of you is all because of me. If we clear the air, things will be easier to fix."

Desmond paused, contemplating her words. After a moment, he conceded, realizing that her suggestion wasn’t entirely without merit. However, a lingering hesitation gnawed at him; he worried Daisy might lash out again.

"Don’t worry," Heather reassured him, "she’s been beaten to the point of exhaustion. What strength does she have left to hurt me?"

Once Desmond left, Heather wiped away her crocodile tears and turned to Daisy with a sinister smile. "I didn’t expect you to overhear the conversation between Dad and me."

"Surprised, aren’t you? Your real father actually wants you dead."

"I was just trying to figure out how to replace you when Desmond came to me. And now, he’s chosen me over you time and time again."

"Your mom is even more pathetic, favoring the daughter of the mistress over her own flesh and blood."

Heather’s fingers grazed the burn scars on Daisy’s face as she sighed. "I almost feel sorry for you."

"How about I help end your misery?"

Daisy’s instincts screamed in warning. "What are you doing?"

"I heard you have blood clots in your brain. One wrong move and you’ll be a vegetable again," Heather said, dragging Daisy toward the stairs.

Daisy realized what was happening, but she didn’t have the strength to resist.

Helplessly, she watched as Heather forced her down the stairs.

A deafening crash echoed through the stairwell.

Daisy’s head slammed against the floor and for a few moments, she was enveloped in a haze of nothingness, just like the lifeless state she had once known.

A sharp, searing pain exploded from the back of Daisy’s head, causing her to curl into herself in agony. Her voice barely rose above a whisper, "Help me."

Through her blurred vision, she saw a frantic scene. Heather was being rushed by everyone, their concern palpable as they surrounded her.

Daisy watched helplessly as Desmond scooped Heather up and rushed off with her parents to the hospital, leaving Daisy abandoned, just as she had been before.

The pain in her body intensified and the world around her seemed to darken in waves. Summoning every last bit of strength, she crawled a few meters and, with trembling hands, grabbed the phone that had slipped from her grasp. She dialed for emergency help.

When she finally regained consciousness, barely clinging to life, she was greeted not with concern but with an avalanche of scolding from Desmond and her parents.

"Heather’s ankle is fractured! Don’t you realize she’s a dancer? How will you make up for that?"

"I should’ve known you were a disaster. I should never have let you be born!"

"From now on, you are no longer my daughter!"

Daisy could already guess that Heather had placed all the blame on her once again.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, her thoughts drifting as she listened to her parents’ harsh accusations.

Her gaze shifted to Desmond, who stood silently, his face unreadable. She let out a shaky breath.

If she had the strength, Daisy would have screamed those words out loud, but the oxygen mask on her face and her weakened body betrayed her, leaving her unable to speak.

In the end, it was Desmond who managed to persuade her parents to leave, staying behind himself.

Their eyes met. Desmond reached out, gently touching her pale face. To her surprise, his voice broke the silence, soft and unexpected, a stark contrast to his usual cold demeanor.

"Heather said you tried to drag her down with you."

"I know that’s not what you meant."

Daisy was taken aback. Had Desmond finally seen through Heather’s true nature?

But Desmond’s next words shattered any remnants of hope she had left.

"I consulted a psychiatrist. The doctor mentioned that waking up from a vegetative state could cause personality shifts due to brain trauma."

"I’m sorry. I never considered that possibility before."

Desmond’s eyes briefly flickered with regret and pity. "The Daisy I knew was generous, kind and lovable. But now... you’re so different. It only just hit me why."

"Thankfully, it’s not too late." Desmond took a deep breath, steadying himself. "I’ll make arrangements to get you into the best mental health facility. Don’t worry, Daisy, I’ll help you get better."

He leaned down, his lips brushing her forehead in a soft kiss. "I hope that by the time you’re well again, you’ll return to the person you once were."

The young mistress of the Thomas Family had to be graceful and virtuous. He couldn’t marry someone so extreme, so unstable.

His voice was soft, but Daisy only felt an icy chill crawl up her spine. She tried to protest, but her voice was so faint, it barely caused the oxygen mask to fog.

Desmond wasn’t asking for Daisy’s opinion. After explaining his plan, he turned to her parents.

For an elite family, having a legitimate member branded mentally ill was a shameful taboo, a scandal waiting to burst.

Yet, with Daisy’s constant troublemaking and her reckless attempts to harm others, Hannah hesitated only a moment before giving a reluctant nod.

Samuel, driven by his own hidden agenda and Heather, her heart full of malice, both raised their hands in support.

Heather smiled sweetly. "I know of a rehabilitation center with exceptional confidentiality and treatment. I’m sure they can help my sister."

But then, when no one was looking, she locked eyes with Daisy, whose gaze was filled with panic and desperate pleading.

Heather’s smile turned sly and she silently mouthed, "You’re in my hands now. Let’s see how you’ll escape this time."

A piercing scream tore through the silence in the electroshock room. The figure strapped to the treatment bed thrashed violently, her body writhing and convulsing uncontrollably,